Members of the Gilas Pilipinas Girls staff throughout an open coaching with the lads’s staff on Thursday. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRERnet
Hardened by a few tournaments previously two months, nationwide coach Pat Aquino believes that his fees are going to take advantage of out of their debut within the nineteenth Asian Video games.
“The ladies are actually desperate to play. Particularly this being our first-ever Asian Video games look. They wish to characterize the nation effectively,” he advised the Inquirer shortly after observe at Aero Heart in Quezon Metropolis on Wednesday afternoon.
“The Jones Cup and the Korea stint had been nice measuring instruments for us going into the Asian Video games. We wished our new gamers to achieve expertise as a variety of them are new to what we’re doing. So these tournaments gave us one thing heading into Hangzhou,” he added.
The Girls’s squad is bunched with regional powerhouse Japan, Kazakhstan, and Hong Kong in Group B play that unfurls on Sept. 27 at Shaoxing Olympic Sports activities Centre Gymnasium.
Gilas takes on the Kazakhs first, however Aquino is discovering consolation in having to see that squad throughout the Asia Cup Division B held in Thailand the place they completed solely sixth.
“They’re tall however we’ll handle towards them,” he stated.
Position reprisal
In deference to the nationwide federation, Aquino begged off from revealing his ultimate roster however went on to guarantee that his previous reliables are going to reprise their roles: cornerstones Jack Animam and Afril Bernardino together with deadeye guard and longtime captain Janine Pontejos.
Animam, who will open a brand new chapter of her professional profession in China, shall be becoming a member of the staff as quickly as they arrive in Hangzhou.
Aquino stated that the short-term aim for the squad is to make the quarterfinals. And as quickly as Gilas does simply that, then they’ll proceed plotting.
“I feel that’s a reachable aim for now,” he stated. “If and after we get there, then we’ll go for one more aim.”
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“There have been humps and bumps on the way in which to Hangzhou, however the factor is, we’re occurring a straight line,” he stated.